brooks



(No Model.) a

E. J. BROOKS.

-' SNAP SEAL.

No. 538,892.. Patented May 7, 1895.

551? C 8mm m Ma,

J v abtoz 'lmg UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD J. BROOKS, OF EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE E. J. BROOKS & COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

SNAP-SEAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 538,892, dated May 7, 1895.

Application filed February 6, 1895- Serial No. 537,484:- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD J. BROOKS, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of East Orange, in the State of New Jersey, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Snap-Seals, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in snap-seals, otherwise known as self-fastening seals, and designed for use as substitutes for press-fastened seals for securing the doors of railway freight-cars, and for the other purposes for which such seals are or may be em ployed. Previous forms of such snap-seals are set forth in my specifications forming part of United States Letters Patent No. 303,417,

dated August 12, 1884; No. 304,258, dated Au gust 26, 1884; No. 312,963, dated February 24, 1885; No. 314,994, dated April 7, 1885; No. 340,932, dated April 27, 1886; No. 345,764, dated July 20, 1886; No. 348,509, dated August 31, 1886; No. 353,246, dated November 23, 1886; No. 524,974, dated August 21,1894, and No. 526,217, dated September 18, 1894.

The present invention consists in an improved snap-seal, and in certain novel combinations of parts, in such seals, hereinafter set forth and claimed. Its objects are, first, to provide for making a secure seal of this description with a disk-shaped seal-part composed of two disks which can be rapidly stamped out and united by machinery, and which will be neat, compact, easily handled and readily provided, at the factory with neat and distinct lettering or distinguishing marks; such provision including the employment within such seal-part of an endwise-projecting spring-detent of superior resiliency integral with one end of a flexible shackle of flat or round wire, whose other end is provided with a strong hook -shaped shacklecatch which may be practically rigid; secondly, to expose the fastenings to view within a diskshaped seal-part, so as to facilitate detecting any tampering therewith, by making the same with a fiat disk of sheet-mica, transparent celluloid or the like, and, thirdly, to combine in such seal-part embossed lettering or distinguishing marks within the struck up disk and supplemental lettering or marks upon the transparent disk, so as to lessen the number of dies required to produce seals for a given road.

A sheet of drawings accompanies this specification as part thereof.

Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings are face views of a pair of disks as stamped out forthe seal part of an improved snap-seal constructed according to this invention and cross-sections of the same on the lines a a and b I), respectively. Fig. 3 represents a face view of the seal as it leaves the factory and a cross-section thereof on the line 0 c. Fig. 4 represents a face view of the same seal applied to a pair of car-door staples and fastened. Fig. 5 represents a face View of an improved snap-seal having a modified seal part and a cross-section ofthe same on the line d d, with superadded dotted lines illustrating changes of outline. Fig. 6 represents a face view of another improved seal modified both 'as to the seal part and as 'to the shackle and a cross-section of the same on the line e c. Fig. 7 is a per- .spective view of another modified shackle (1etached, and Fig. 8 represents one end of an other modified shackle detached.

Like letters and numbers refer to like parts I in all the figures.

The improved snap-seals represented by the drawings are characterized in common by the combination in each of a permanently hollow disk-shaped seal-part composed of a pair of disks Aand B, and aflexible shackle O, with an endwise-projccting spring detent D integral with the shackle; each seal-part being constructed with a detent-holding portion 1, and a catch-admitting recess 2 for the shackle-end which is fastened at the sealing operation; While the seal is further provided with means for preliminarily fastening the detent end of the shackle against withdrawal; the latter admitting of considerable modification as hereinafter set forth.

The disks A and B are adapted to be rapidly produced by means of stamping machines; and the shackles O and detents D are made in common of suitable wire.

In the manufacture of the improved seal dies so that in addition to such detent-holding portion 1 and a single catch-admitting recess 2 it is provided with a stop-recess 3 and distinguishing marks 4, all of which are sunk in its face, and with a raised marginal rim 5, as in Fig. 1. The disk B of this seal is of transparent mica or celluloid, printed in the sheetwith supplemental distinguishingmarks 6 and 7, and stamped therefrom as in Fig. 2. The detent D is formed on one end of the shackle C, the latter being of flat wire sufficiently hard.

In assembling the parts, the detent D is inserted endwise through a contracted opening 8, Fig. 1, in line with the detent-holding portion 1 before the disks are united. Abent-up stop-enlargement 9 is then formed on the shackle at the proper point, and drawn into the stop-recess 3; and the detent is then pressed ed gewise into said detent-holding por tion 1; being so proportioned that its end projects into the catch-admitting recess 2, as in Fig. 3. A space 10, provided behind this end of the detent,permits it to be flexed by the entering catch-end of the shackle. This catchend is constructed, as in Fig. 4, with a short hook-shaped catch 11, and with a corrugated portion 12 to close the entrance of the catchadmitting recess 2 behind the fastened catch, as in Fig. 4. After locating and testing the detent D, the disk B is inserted above it within the rim 5 of the disk A, and the whole is then passed beneath a reciprocating die,which closes down the rim as in Fig. 3, and this completes the seal as an article of commerce. Leaving the factory in this form, Fig. 3, it is applied in customary manner to a pair of cardoor staples E, Fig. 4, or the like, by passing the shackle 0 through the same, and inserting the catch-end of-the shackleinto the catchadmitting recess 2 of the seal-part, where it interlocks automatically with the detent D, and the seal is thus securely fastened, as in Fig. 4. By making said disk B of transparent material, and providing it with the supplemental distinguishing marks 6 and 7 as above, it not only exposes to view the embossed marks 4 of the struck up disk A, but combines therewith any additional marks which may be required, and at the same time exposes to view the fastening devices of the seal so that any tampering therewith may be detected at once. Said embossed marks 4 may conveniently indicate as in the drawings the name of a railroad on which the seals are used, and the supplemental marks 6 and '7, the designation of a sealing station and the serial number of the seal, respectively; and oneset of dies may thus or in like manner he made to suffice for all the seals of a given road.

I11 the modified seal represented by Fig. 5, the disk Ais provided simply with the rim 5, while the detent-holding portion 1, catch-admitting recess 2, stop-recess 3, and embossed lettering 4, are formed by the disk B, which in this case is of suitable sheet-metal or the like adapted to be struck up or otherwise provided with such recesses. The shackle O and detent D of this seal may be identical with those above described.

The modified seal represented by Fig. 6 has its detent-holding portion 1, stop recess 3, and flexing space 10, formed partly in each of the disks A and I), and the disk A is provided with the catch-admitting recess 2 and marginal rim 5; the shackle C of this seal being of flat wire twisted and notched to form a catch-end 13 which engages edgewise with the end of the detent D when the seal is fastened, as in the figure.

If the shackle C be made of round wire as in Fig. '7 one end thereof may be flattened to form the detent D, and it may then be used in connection with a seal-part similar to the one shown in Fig. 6 and just described, its catch-end being provided with a hook-shaped catch 11 and entrance-guarding bends 12, projecting in one and the same plane and at rightangles to the plane of the flattened detentend.

In connection with detents the ends of which project as in Figs. 3 to 7 the catch-ends of the shackles C may be provided with re entrant catch-bends 15 Fig. 8 instead of the before-described hook-shaped catches and notches. Another form of entrance-guarding bends is also shown at 14 in Fig. 8.

The seal-part will ordinarily be circular, as dies for this form are more readily made; but it may if preferred have other shapes, as illustrated by the triangular outline shown in dotted lines at A in Fig. 5. The recessed disks may be molded instead of being struck up in dies. Square wire may be used in the same manner as round wire; and other like modifications will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art.

Having thus described the said improvement, I claim as my invention and desire to patent under this specification- 1. An improved snap-seal, substantially as hereinbefore specified, composed of. a diskshaped hollow seal-part having within it a detent-holding portion and a catch-admitting recess, and a flexible shackle having at its respective extremities an endwiseprojecting spring-detent, and a rigid hook-shaped catch to interlock with said detent within said catchadmitting recess, and provided with means for preliminarily fastening its detent end against withdrawal.

2. In a snap-seal, substantially as hereinbefore specified, comprising a flexible shackle having a catch at one end, a detent to coact with said catch, and means for fastening the other end of the shackle against withdrawal, a disk-shaped hollow seal-part composed of a pair of disks permanently united with each other at the perimeter of the seal-part and having within it a detent-holding portion and a catch-admitting recess formed in one disk,

ICO

the other disk being transparent and exposing to View the detent and catch within the fastened seai.

3. In a snap-seal, substantially as hereinbefore specified, comprising a flexible shackle having a catch at one end, a detent to coach with said catch, and means for fastening the other end of the shackle against Withdrawal, a disk-shaped hollow seal-part composed of an IO embossed disk forming Within the seal-part a 

